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Successor States of Ríë
Once a beautiful Teled Methen city filled to the brim with Elves, the great city of Ríë was destroyed by Orcish invaders with a large, makeshift bomb, dubbed by its creators as, the ‘Big Boom’. The Talar that remain, though still substantial in number, are nowhere near united. The ruined city and its surrounding territories has turned into a cesspool of thievery, bandits, and violence. While it might be destroyed, the Successor States of Ríë are all that are left of the impressive city once heralded as the capital of the Elven Empire. History Before the Cataclysm Prior to the Cataclysm, Ríë was the capital of the Elven Empire. Established nearly three thousand years ago as a port city, Ríë expanded its territories at an incredible pace. Most of the old city was abandoned in favor of closely knit, carefully planned out street plans that became the center of Ríë. The Ivory Tower sat in the middle, and represented the might and prestige of the Elven Empire. Emperor after Emperor lived there and ruled over the Talar provinces as the city became larger and larger. After the Cataclysm Ríë met a pitiful downfall in 11 A.C., when Orcs invaded the city, attacking with a bomb they called the Big Boom. The Orc armies marched upon the city, using explosives and their manpower to clear a path straight to the Ivory Tower, which was said to be able to be seen from miles away. Ríë, before the events of the fall, stood as a pinnacle of Elven culture and the epicenter of their empire. Progression of Elven technology and culture made the city a thing of wonder, which is, in part, why the attack from the Orcs hurt the Elves as much as it did. Two thousand years of history, culture, and the advancement of the Elven race were swallowed up into the waters. Once the Orcs arrived at the center of the tower, they laced it thoroughly with explosives and retreated back. Just as Vicari militia arrived on the scene, the bomb detonated. Upon impact, the Ivory Tower fell, the first of many within Teled Methen. Unfortunately, however, it was not only the foundation of the city that found itself affected. The utter force of the Orcish bomb resulted in a large portion of Daendroc to be sent to the bottom of the Snake Bend Sea, causing the megacontinent to be split into the several lands that are recognized today. Huge numbers of Elves and Orcs alike were killed by the explosion and chaos that ensued. It was this day that the Vicari shed their old name, and adopted one anew: The Unquale, warriors seeking the blood of the Orcs. Unfortunately, among the wreckage of Rie, intentions became distorted; survival was the only goal if there was any hope of exacting revenge upon the Orcs. Many different districts of Ríë banded together as Vicari regiments held strong. Many different groups broke out, trying to outcompete each-other for food and resources. This struggle became the backbone for what the majority of the Unquale would war over for the next few centuries. Continuous inner turmoil has led them to split into dozens of smaller, increasingly irrelevant states that all contest with each other. Despite the fact that it is home to hundreds of thousands of Elves, the actual history of Ríë is hotly debated. If one were to travel between multiple tribes, they’d likely hear an ever-varying story; sometimes, the tribes are young enough to not have an interpretation of how they came there. Many are incapable of recalling a time when Ríë was not in ruins. The Years after The Big Boom As the Unquale of Ríë continued their pointless feuds with each-other, the states of Hadar began to encroach upon their lands. It was not until they began to be perceived as a real threat that the Talar of Teled Methen united and took action. Working as a unified population, the Elves of Ríë drove out the populace of Hadar and reclaimed what the Naylar took. Since then, the Unquale have returned to their war of survival with each-other, dozens of different tribes scattered along the islands and landmasses of Ríë. Present Day As it currently stands, Ríë has not changed in any truly notable fashion since shortly after the events of The Big Boom. Although small squabbles have broken out between the tribes of Ríë, they remain adamant on their claim of history. Ever watchful among the broken ruins of their once great city, the Elves of Ríë have made it clear that they are here to stay. Although the question of re-establishing the capital has been raised a number of times by idealists, those that have chosen to remain among the remnants of the lost city have become too used to their newfound ways, and are happy to continue stagnating in their own existence as the world revolves around them. Etymology As the successor states were formed around the ruins of what was once a great elven city, the name, Successor States of Ríë, became a clear choice for the inheritor region. Geography The city of Ríë is sunken and decaying into a shadow of its former self. Located in the far southern parts of Daendroc and the north of Teled Methen, the majority of the city has become submerged within swamp and ocean. The “coast” is defined by the tops of some of the taller city buildings that survived, as well as the mangled tree canopies. This makes it incredibly hard to navigate by sea around the coasts of Teled Methen. Parts that aren’t completely submerged reveal marble houses and fountains with crumbling streets filled with jungle vegetation. The flora and fauna of the area rules over the ruins, combining forces with the flooded waters to make parts of the city completely inaccessible. Outside the defeated city are plains, sprinkled with tribes of Elves that commonly clash with each other when not dealing with their own infighting. Climate The Successor States of Ríë share a climate with both Daendroc, as well as Teled Methen. Maintaining a fairly humid climate year round. The Successor states boast a sweltering summer and spring season while also displaying a brittle and chilling fall and winter. The swamplands of the Successor States are home to many of the large bugs and insects who thrive in that form of climate, however, plains begin to overtake the landscape farther away from the central city of Ríë as the climate adjusts to a more temperate degree. Notable Landmarks *'Ivory Tower' :Named for its looks, the Ivory Tower is located in the submerged parts of the city. All that remains is a large pile of rubble with occasional intact segments peaking out of the surface, however the rest is completely underwater. Countless books and relics remain, and have been stolen from it. As one of the highest buildings from the fallen city, it’s often cited as its trademark, and many Talar pledge pilgrimages to it to please their Goddess Estel. *'Ríëar' :One of the few established towns that still remain from the times of the Elven Empire, Ríëar is a port-town of privateers that specialized in enslaving Qadir. Far enough from the Big Boom to escape its wrath, Ríëar has not sunk into the ocean, unlike Ríë. It’s a much less stable place, now, however; the ownership changes hands with the tides as rivalling tribes garner enough people to overpower it. Because of this, the town has been weakened considerably, and doesn’t present much of a threat. *'Temple of Orn' :Located on the southernmost coasts of the Successor States, the Temple of Orn is an isolated temple to Estel. Its owners are constantly under fire by bow and sword, as it is located centrally within one of the most povertized and war torn area of the entire Successor States. It is the only location in Teled Methen that is home to Lothar Elves, who have found peace among the ruins of the once grand city. They do not pick sides among the warring Unquale, and are constantly being fought over in a dirty game of tug of war. *'Sundoma’s Bow' :Sundoma’s Bow is formed by a curved stone wall towards the coast of Ríë. Multiple camps are cropped up in a line between its two ends, strongly resembling a bow. Its ownership has since been hotly contested by devout followers of Estel, as it has come to be seen as a holy place of worship. Government To call what the Successor States have maintained a government would be unrealistic. They are simply grouped as the “Successor States” as an easy way of referring to them. They are in no way centralized, and only once in history have they united to deal with a foreign threat. In 146 A.C., however, several of the Successor States banded together to raid monasteries from Caelebiaun. The result of this war was the annexation of the perpetrators by the theocracy. For information regarding the structure of the individual states within the umbrella term, “Successor States,” please refer to the Unquale page. Foreign Relations The Successor States maintain a fairly isolated status in regards to foreign relations. While it is not uncommon for travellers to make their way through the lands that the states occupy, the successors as a whole prefer to interact with one another over the lands that surround them. However, many have created secret ties with Metta Telduin, as well as the lands of Uvie Daelar. Although the means of trade between the Successor States as Metta Telduin are rumored and believed to be unfounded, Uvie Daelar entertains open trade with the smaller Unquale tribes that line the coast. Due to their withdrawn nature, most of the surrounding lands view the Successor States with mistrust. None of the other Elven states will ever assist them directly, seeing as they have partaken in past raids against Caelebiaun which resulted in war. Military Even though the Successor States are incredibly autonomous and have no central leader, if conjoined, they could hold a considerable amount of military power. This has only been demonstrated on one occasion. Shortly after the events of The Big Boom, Hadar attempted to claim the scattered lands of Ríë as their own. In order to fend off the Hadar states when their desire for land led them toward the remnants of the elven city, the Successor States conjoined into a single force against that of the Naylar and successfully fended the attackers off, making it known to all who observed the event that Ríë would not be given up without a fight. Economy and Technology Due to a lack of currency or organized economy, the childish phrase “finders keepers” is commonplace in Ríë. The Elves here are no stranger to pillaged loot, taking what they need -- and sometimes more than that -- and trading it away. The destroyed city is rich in artifacts from the Elven Empire. Kitchenware is especially valuable back in Regalia, sometimes even found in the homes of nobles. The creation of armor and weaponry is a big export for the Elves, as well. They specialize in both due to their experience with fighting; their armor is typically light, but hardy. Some are even capable of creating camouflaged armor out of the flora in Ríë. Demographics The Successor States of Ríë, while being viewed as a disunited nation, are home to one of the largest known populations of pure Talar. Most of these are Unquale, though in some southern parts of the continent, Lothar reside peacefully. Very rarely will an Orc be seen as well, due in no part to the mass extermination of them within Teled Methen. *Talar - 97% category:Talar Demographics *Orcs - 2% category:Orc Demographics *Other - 1% Culture Though severely disjointed, the tribes and groups of Elves have a few similar characteristics between them. The Faith of Estel is adhered to across the tribes, with special favor paid to Justice, Pride and Honor, as is customary for most Unquale tribes. There are around forty different states, with the boundaries of each state’s territory varying severely as time passes. The social hierarchy relies on skills and worth in combat to determine someone’s position. Most tribes are bent on destroying each other. Their limited military training consists of smaller tribes banding together when a large threat, such as Orcs, persists, but they hold little to no military strength. They are mostly bandits and vagabonds, though those who do train for combat typically train and act as rangers, with an emphasis on speed and agility, and hardly any on brute strength. For information regarding the culture of the individual states within the umbrella term, “Successor States,” please refer to the Unquale page. Religion While divided, the Successor States of Ríë do share some common characteristics. One of the most notable of which would be that of their shared religion, the Faith of Estel and that of the Elven Pantheon. As the states are highly influenced by their Unquale culture, a focus on the forces of Justice, Pride and Honor could be witnessed. As a result, temples to Estel can be found scattered across the entirety of the states with shrines and statues contained within dedicating worship to Estel and her forces. Trivia *While a high number of rumors circulate Aloria to this day about the locations of precious and invaluable holy relics blessed by Estel herself within the submerged sects of the city, most, if not all of them are fabricated by the Elves living in and around the city, waiting for gullible adventurers to take the bait. *In an effort to maintain a hold on their heritage, the Successor States have continued the use of the Elven Calendar. For the tribes in the Successor States of Ríë, the year is currently 2537E. ---- Category:Geography Category:Nations and States Category:Extended Daendroc Landmass